Virtual universes or virtual worlds are computer-based simulated environments intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars, which are personas or representations of the users of the virtual universes and generally take the form of two-dimensional or three-dimensional human or fantastical representations of a person's self. These types of virtual universes are now most common in massively multiplayer online games such as Second Life which is a trademark of Linden Research in the United States, other countries or both. Avatars in these types of virtual universes, which can number well over a million, have a wide range of business and social experiences.
The inventory items associated with an avatar play an important role in these business and social experiences. An avatar's inventory may contain a wide range of items that the avatar can access and use while on-line in a virtual universe. For example, an avatar's inventory may include professional items such as business reports and other documents, or functional software. In addition, the inventory may contain decorative or entertainment items such as pets, toys, virtual devices, objects for barter, virtual weapons, etc. Currently, users of virtual universes or residents can only make manual changes to enable or disable the use or access of inventory items by using software functionality (e.g., a control panel) provided with the virtual universe. The slow and cumbersome nature of making manual changes to an avatar's inventory may become an impediment to an avatar's ability to experience and enjoy certain business and social experiences within the virtual world.